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Ofelia Marín Márquez

basket weaver, Filandia

Doña Ofelia Marín was born and raised in the San José neighborhood of Filandia. As a little girl, she learned at home how to weave with the excess or left-over materials from her parents and siblings. Now she weaves baskets from vines that she collects in the nearby forest. In addition to making baskets to sell, she participates in the annual desfile de yipao (jeep parade) by helping to decorate a jeep with her family.

"Money hangs on the trees in the mountains. That’s what we say, because when people are badly off, when they have no work or anything, they go to the forest to cut vines to sell them to those of us that weave."